Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus came and told his disciples. “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
For those who follow Jesus, baptism is a symbolic act of our personal recognition of how Jesus saved us- buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in the fullness of new life, just as Jesus was raised to life. It’s also our chance to say in front of everyone that we are committed to live for Jesus all the days of our lives. Baptism doesn’t save us - only Jesus does that - and baptism doesn’t take away all the hard things we face. But, baptism is our opportunity to tell the world that Jesus is our Savior and it’s God’s opportunity to do something special within us as we take a huge step of obedience in our faith.
Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change; it’s a public declaration of how Jesus has changed your life. Being baptized shows others that you’ve decided to follow Jesus, and allows them to celebrate this decision with you (Acts 16:31-34). The act of baptism doesn’t save a person; it is simply a symbol and celebration of salvation (1 Peter 3:21). Because Jesus took on our sin and granted us His purity, if we put our faith in Him, we are made right with God – and that’s worth celebrating!
Jesus instructs us to be baptized, and He set the example through His own baptism (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 1:9). Our obedience to His instruction shows that we believe and follow Jesus (1 John 2:3). Because Jesus went public about His love for us, we can go public about our love for Him. These public displays of baptism also help the church family provide support and accountability to one another.
For everyone who decides to follow Jesus, baptism is the next step. Anyone who commits his or her life to following Jesus is ready to be baptized (Acts 8:12); so if you have placed your faith in Christ, but haven’t been baptized through immersion, we encourage you to talk to us about baptism as soon as you can.
We believe the Bible is clear that baptism is a physical picture of salvation that we should take part in after we have trusted that Jesus is Savior and Lord of our life. Therefore, we believe any child who has come to a place of understanding their own personal sin and need for Jesus as Savior and Lord should be baptized, and we encourage that. We believe parents are the primary spiritual leaders in a child’s life, so we encourage you to lead that process with your child. If you believe your child has put their faith in Jesus, or need help leading that process, we encourage you and your child to meet with one of our Children’s Pastors about baptism.
Baptisms in the Bible were by immersion. The original word for baptism most often referred to being immersed or submerged in water. Jesus was baptized by being immersed in the water and rising out of it (Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10). Submersion in the water symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Being submerged underwater represents our death to sin and old way of life, and being raised out of the water is a picture of how Jesus has raised us and given us a fresh start in life (Romans 6:3-5).
If you haven’t been baptized by immersion since you decided to follow Jesus, we want to help you take your next step in baptism. Once you’ve taken that step, there’s no need to be baptized again. Romans 8:35-39 tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Though we may wander at times, He is faithful to hold onto us.
